Spiderfolk
Arachnid bandits spill from the canyon's sheer rock walls, demanding tribute at arrowpoint from those who cross its swaying silk bridge. The city's kingpin is a six-legged exile from the depths, who rules his underworld from a warren of sewers. A small town eagerly awaits the autumn bazaar, when stalls spill nightly from a cave mouth to offer fine silks, strange fungi, and other fruits of the dark. Many Legs Make Light Work In the damp and lightless belly of the world, wicked elves once labored to create new breeds of slave. They wove together hopeless captives and nocturnal beasts, seeking a servant adapted to the lightless caves they called home. With the blessing of their fell goddess, these experiments gave birth to a hybrid of elf and spider, a race of weavers and crawlers named the arachnids. Piercing the dark with faceted eyes and navigating cramped tunnels with six-legged agility, the arachnids spread throughout the empire that created them as messengers, miners, and menials. This slavery was not to last. Discontent brewed in anarchistic arachnid cells and isolated bursts of violence, culminating in a violent uprising that left cities aflame and chains broken. Some arachnids liberated elven forts for themselves, while others fled retaliation, weaving silk-coated homes in any dark crag or shadowed forest that would house them. Now their origins are a dark memory, fuel for grudges and a fable for hatchlings. Now the arachnids are free. Tangled Web The spiderfolk's hybrid origins provide a great variety of features. Some have hairless, oily skin, while others are coated in short and bristly fur. Some have two large, faceted eyes, while others bear multiple pairs of black beads. Only a few aspects remain consistent: six long legs, sharp mandible fangs, and a short, wiry build. Those arachnid that enjoy the wealth of civilization develop a paunch, but fat seldom spreads across the rest of their body. Each arachnid can naturally weave silk, working spinnerets and silk-glands hidden in its mouth. This is the material from which the spiderfolk make clothes, homes, and so much else. Even young arachnids are practiced weavers. Welcome to my Parlor Each arachnid is capable of creating its own shelter, and their culture is no less individualistic. Once slaves, now free, the arachnids are deeply suspicious of even the most benevolent central authority, and prize self-sufficiency above all. The spiderfolk take pride in the quality of their homes, clothes, and tools. To borrow from another is an expression of trust and (usually private) intimacy. Only fresh hatchlings are exempt, for arachnids do not raise their own young. Most arachnid are thoroughly devout, in their own way. They regard the propiation of vengeful, malevolent gods to be a matter of daily survival, as natural as foraging, and consider deities of compassion or charity to be tricksters. The goddess-mother who sponsored the birth of the arachnids has the most universal sway over the spiderfolk. Her chosen messengers are monstrous half-spirits called choldrith, far more spider than elf, born rarely into an ordinary clutch. Most arachnid raise these creatures as prophets, but those who fear her gaze burn the eggs before they can hatch. Itsy Bitsy Spider arachnid adventurers are most often found in common cause against the drow, helping slaves escape or striking against strongholds. Others strike out on their own, seeking to establish a grander legacy than mere independence. Arachnid Names The arachnid language has long diverged from elven into its own spidery dialect, but still employs the flowery, syllable-laden names of that fey tongue. One notable difference: long vowels are replaced by mandible clicks, approximated by translators with a clucked tongue. arachnids traditionally have neither family nor clan names, but instead bear a calendar name derived from the events of the year they hatched. All arachnid born that year are "siblings", and bear the weight of its tidings for good or ill. Arachnid Male Names: Elaj'on, Craw'rin, Ilig'lor, Kelk's, Luh'ce, Na'ven, Olon'lis, Petz'ros, Sylj'on, Zinyd'rk Arachnid Female Names: Aral'na, Caiqir'lle, Faec'ne, Heles'tra, Iars'tra, Presh'na, Qiz'rwyn, Ulaban'se Clutch Names: Kery'n (Bloodshed), Ghaat'il (Exodus), Usk'che (Firedeep), Durm'sta (Junglefell), Ahnv'e (Longnight), Blal'tha (Sporebloom), Alud'la (Tiderise) Racial Traits Ability Score Improvement. Your Dexterity score increases by 2, and your Charisma score increases by 1. Age. Spiderfolk, much like spiders, mature quickly, becoming adults at the age of 2 or 3 and live for as long as 50 years. Alignment. Most spiderfolk are evil in nature, given their reputation. Those who are raised outside of spiderfolk tribes are not always evil, but are self-centered and chaotic in alignment. Size. Even with your bulbous abdomen and eight spider legs you are still no taller than the average sapien. Your size is Medium. Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet. Darkvision. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can't discern color in darkness, only shades of gray. Sunlight Sensitivity. You have disadvantage on attack rolls and on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight when you, the target of your attack, or whatever you are trying to perceive is in direct sunlight. Spider Climb. '''You can climb difficult surfaces, including walls, but not ceilings, without needing to make an ability check. You must use your hands and feet to do this. At 3rd level, your climbing speed is equal to your walking speed and you can climb difficult surfaces, including walls and ceilings without needing to make an ability check. You can do this with your hands free. Weaver's Art. You are proficient with weaver's tools, and are always treated as having both the tools and materials needed to create or repair silk items. '''Web Walker. You ignore movement restrictions caused by webbing. Webbing. You can cast the spell web twice. Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for this spell. You are able to cast the spell three times at 6th level, four times at 11th level, and five times at 16th level. Once you do so, you can't cast it again until you finish a short or long rest. Language. You can read, speak, and write Common and Undercommon.